I feel like this is a double standard. What say ye

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Cindy

My youngest daughter would pick up copperheads around the house and bring them to me to kiss. She would say, kiss the snake Mama. I of course carefully took them away from her, and disposed of them. She was not in anyway afraid of snakes. Chickens on the other hand, she was. She did however grow out of her fascination with poisonous snakes, for which I am thankful.

I can see her being afraid of chickens.

My son when he was in high school, raised chickens for AG class. He had over 60 chickens he raised from baby chicks. A few grew into some mean roosters. I had one rooster challenge me. He bumped me and I did not know what he was trying to do. So he followed me to the front of the house and bumped me again. My husband told me he was challenging me. I thought hmmm. So I took my foot and kicked him with all my might and the fool chicken did not budge. I thought to myself that he was going to spur me any moment. I picked up a big stick and the "chicken" ran off screaming when he saw me raise that stick. LOL.

But that has nothing to do with this thread.

Carry on folks.

[Sister Alvear]

I see enough snakes so I don't plan on picking any up on purpose....

[Arphaxad]

Originally Posted by Margies3

I was talking with a friend last night who goes to an independent Apostolic Church. We had two conversations that left me baffled....

In the first one, she was telling me that the church she attends has been paying rent for the use of a Lutheran Church on Sunday afternoons and one evening during the week. It has been a good situation for both congregations since neither are very large. It gives the Lutheran group an income. And it gives the Apostolic folks a place to worship.

But they just learned this week that the Lutherans now have a new pastor - a woman! and she is gay! Now mind you, this gay lady is not going to be pastoring the APOSTOLIC folks, just her own congregation of Lutheran people. But as soon as the Apostolic church found out about it, they are now moving out as of this week! No way they will worship in a building where a gay woman pastors a congregation earlier in the day.

My answer to her was that as long as they weren't asking her to pastor THEIR congregation, what did they care? Isn't what they are doing just a little bit extreme??

So then the conversation turned directions and someone started talking about snake-handling Pentecostal people. One of the ladies shared that she had gone to a snake-handling church for several months while she was in Kentucky taking care of her dying mother. I told her that I had attended that same church - ONE time!! For about 10 minutes - just until I figured out they were snake-handlers! Then I was out the door!! So the lady whose church is moving out because of the gay pastor says to me, "I think we have to be very careful about being judgmental of other Christians. I wouldn't handle snakes, but I can't see that what they are doing is all that bad either!"

Made no sense to me - if it's wrong to judge the snake handlers, then it stands to reason that the way they're handling the gay pastor situation is also wrong. Don't get me wrong -- I DO NOT believe that God approves of the gay pastor. Or of being gay at all. But I have a hard time thinking that He's pleased with snake handlers either!

What do you think? I'm open to your opinions

Maybe they're afraid of gay spirits hiding under pews and latching onto them?

[AreYouReady?]

Originally Posted by Michael Phelps

Ah, actually, I have to take issue with the first statement.......the Bible teaches that we are to avoid the very appearance of evil, and not to let our good be evil spoken of.....it would behove Christians to worry a bit about their "image"....

It's not like they are attending the same service sitting under the gay pastor themselves. Sheesh. That would be the image one would worry about.

Jesus ate with sinners, did not wash his hands etc. He did all the things the Pharisees thought would tarnish the image of a Rabbi.

God knows the truth about people regardless of what they say about others.

Sometimes no matter what good one does, it will be evil spoken of by some people anyway.

[TGBTG]

Matt 5
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Phil 2
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Don't hide that Holy Ghost light in you. Light is needed most in darkness (not in lighted areas)

[Cindy]

Originally Posted by TGBTG

Matt 5
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Phil 2
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Don't hide that Holy Ghost light in you. Light is needed most in darkness (not in lighted areas)

[Ichthus]

Originally Posted by PastorTLArt

"Treading" (walking around the serpents barefooted) on them is not uncommon at all, Im sure if you look up snake handling vids on youtube you will see it. I know many saints that walk on them.

Literally TREAD... Step on them good!
Give those snakes and scorpions a good stomping on like the verse indicates!
I wonder how long THAT would last?

Not just walking alongside the snakes barefoot like y'all is friends...

Tread ON serpents and scorpions... Not walk beside them together